tobaccotalk.myfastforum.org

vredeman · Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Posts: 51 Location: Michigan

We all know them and hate em but. It seems like the Hornworm just appears out of nowhere. Where do they come from? Why do they like dark leaf plants over light leaf? Does someone drop them off a plane and they skydive to your plants? Do their eggs blow in from somewhere? I would love for someone to tackle this 1.

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bob_kemp · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 8:05 am Post subject:

Hi --

"Manduca sexta, referred to as the tobacco hornworm (caterpillar) or as the hawkmoth or sphinx moth (adult), is a common insect"

They pollinate night blooming plants like Angel's Trumpet, Moonflower vines and 4 O'Clocks. They are also called "hummingbird moths" because they are really huge! Tobacco scnet is much stronger at night to attract these pollinators, although the hornworm can sure wreck the leaves.

I recall the first time I saw one on my 4 O'Clocks. I yelled, HONEY! THERE'S A HUMMINGBIRD ON THE FLOWERS AT NIGHT! lol

Bob

Dan · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 10:24 am Post subject:

I just picked one off my plants hanging in my garage. I'm looking at new holes in one of the big leaves and there it was getting fat on my leaf. They follow you into the drying room and eat your plants as they cure. One particular ground hog, horn worms, flea beetles and aphids hate em all. Oh yeah, mosquitoes and ticks. I cant see why God even created them.

Wydeboi · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:50 pm Post subject:

Dan, birds/bats gotta eat. Laughing

bob_kemp · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 6:56 pm Post subject:

Hi --

I'd like to know why Moses let hornworms on the Ark! And mosquitos!

Bob

Wydeboi · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 6:59 pm Post subject:

lol, see my previous post Bob. Laughing

bob_kemp · Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject:

LOL --

Wydeboi, Moses never built an ark! It was Noah! GOTCHA!

Wydeboi · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 12:23 am Post subject:

vredeman · Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Posts: 51 Location: Michigan

Yeah Noah also brought on allot of seed including Tons of Tobacco Strains. Mosses grabbed his beer & smokes for the ride.

So bob your saying that this monster moth drops eggs on the plants? I understand how aphids get around. Some of them buggers have wings!
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bob_kemp · Posted: Mon Oct 12, 2009 6:32 am Post subject:

Hi -

vredeman, actually that's one form of non-chemical controls you can use to reduce the caterpiller population on your plants during the season.

If you examine each leaf carefully, you will find very tiny, regularly layed eggs which are usually brightly colored yellow or other colors other than green. Each one will be about the size of a mustard seed and they will be layed in rows generally on the bottom side of the leaf.

Just scrape them off with your fingernail and leave them on the ground. That will be up to dozens of moth eggs which will NEVER eat your tobacco!

During the height of the moth egg-laying time last year, I would literally scrape 10's of these egg clusters of my leaves a day! It made a HUGE dent in the moth population!

Bob